5 Lessons to Perfecting Pitch Presentations

Giving a presentation is hard, but like anything, practice makes perfect. Over the course of the last decade, I’ve had the pleasure of representing some of the world’s top keynote speakers, booking them for engagements all around the world. One of the main takeaways for me is that anybody can do it. Whether presenting a speech in front of thousands of people or pitching to a small group of investors, the proper coaching and guidance can turn anybody into a pro.

Coaching speakers has always been one of the best parts of my job. I’ve seen how helping individuals enhance their communication and public speaking skills has lead to positive transformations in their personal and professional lives, and so when we were asked to advise the ScaleUP cohort, I was all in!

The first thing that struck me with each of the entrepreneurs was how good all of their pitches already were. It felt as though we’ve already been through several sessions together and that all we needed to do wrap it all up in a bow.

Secondly, there was a definitive understand of the fundamentals elements needed to nail your presentation.

In this article, I highlight some of the key elements needed to perfect your next presentation.

Clear Purpose and Message

• Define a clear purpose for your presentation. Understand what message you want to convey and what actions or insights you want your audience to take away.
• Craft a concise and compelling main message. Your audience should easily understand the core idea of your presentation.

Audience-Centric Content

• Know your audience and tailor your content to their interests, needs, and level of understanding. Consider their background, expertise, and expectations.
• Provide relevant and valuable information. Keep your content focused, avoiding unnecessary details that might distract from your main point.

Engaging Delivery

• Practice your delivery to ensure a confident and engaging presentation. Pay attention to your tone, pace, and body language.
• Use storytelling techniques to make your content more relatable and memorable. Incorporate anecdotes, examples, or case studies to illustrate your points.

Effective Visuals

• Create visually appealing slides that support and enhance your message. Use a clean and consistent design, avoiding clutter and overly complex visuals.
• Incorporate images, charts, and graphs to make data more digestible. Ensure that visuals are easy to understand and reinforce key points.

Interactivity and Engagement

• Foster audience engagement through questions, polls, or interactive elements. Encourage participation to keep your audience attentive and involved.
• Be prepared to address questions and facilitate discussions. This not only adds value but also shows your expertise and responsiveness.

Petar Josic is the founder of Spoken Artists, an exclusive agency representing a global roster of keynote speakers that all have one thing in common: originality. Petar’s roster includes a wide range of keynote speakers, from captains of industry to authors, celebrities, athletes and beyond, booking them for speaking engagements at events all over the world.